Little Nemo in Slumberland: Flip and the Witch
by DBAB
Summary: Based on the January 13, 1907 newspaper comic strip Little Nemo in Slumberland by Winsor McCay. Little Nemo dreams about he and his friends in Slumberland...Thought I'd try something new and different.


Little Nemo in Slumberland – January 13, 1907 – Winsor McCay

Little Nemo, age six, was walking through a nice snow-covered forest in Slumberland one night. The cool crisp air was biting but it didn't affect him too badly because the green outfit that he was wearing, featuring pink polka-dots, and the large oversized hat was doing its job keeping out the coldest portions of the wintery onslaught. At his side was his friend, a young brown-haired girl wearing a long yellow dress and a big yellow hat. Funny thing was, he couldn't quite recall her name despite them being good friends. It didn't seem to matter though as they were having a nice peaceful walk through the woods.

It was a peace that was short lived, however. Just when the couple began to relax into a nice conversation another young lady, about Nemo's age, with blonde curly hair and a pink dress came running past them going as fast as she possibly could go. Right behind her was an older, rather chunky little boy wearing white pants with red polka-dots, a red vest, and a grey overcoat. He looked extremely angry and some sort of black ooze was dripping from his face.

"There's no one can squirt ink in my face and get away with it, see?" The chunky boy yelled at the girl he was chasing.

Nemo and his companion watched the chase with great interest, as if it were a sporting event. The little girl in pink turned and quickly ducked around the side of a tree and began to run in circles around it. The chunky boy followed right behind her going around and around.

"Flip is furious, isn't he, Nemo?" The girl in yellow asked in a somewhat proper tone.

Nemo observed the ink crawling down the other boy's face. "I don't blame him." He said. "I'd be madder than he."

Just then the girl and pink came around the near side of the tree then circled back around to the other side. Flip came flying around right after her only a few steps behind.

"You are a sweet little girl one minute and an old witch the next!" The boy called after his prey as he too disappeared around the other side of the tree.

Nemo's companion shook her head. "That old witch will never drive him out of Slumberland." She observed.

"Then why doesn't she give it up and leave him alone?" Nemo asked. He was beginning to get frustrated.

Once again, the other couple came running around the near side of the tree.

"You can't fool me." Flip continued to rant at the girl in pink. "I saw you do it. I'm a foxy kid if I do say it and no witch can fool me."

The girl in yellow sighed. The excitement of the moment was beginning to wear off. "He will not be able to catch her." She told her companion. "So, let us go on to the Snow Palace."

"Aw! Flip!" Nemo yelled as the boy came hustling around the tree once again. "Let her go. Maybe she didn't do it."

About that time Nemo and his friend in yellow began to notice something odd. As flip chased the little girl in pink the tree they were running around began change. It happened very slow at first. One side of the tree began to grow out until it looked as though a new branch was forming. After another lap the color started to dull until the brown bark had turned gray.

"Look at that tree!" Nemo exclaimed.

"The witch is doing that." The girl in yellow explained. "But it won't scare flip."

After another couple of passes the tree began to grow legs where it's roots had been. Eyes appeared and blinked. Above that parts of the branches turned into large ears. Then a mouth formed. In just a few minutes what had been a giant tree in the forest was now a humongous rhinoceros.

Flip stopped in his tracks and almost fell over. At the same time there was great cackle as the girl in pink morphed into a mean looking old lady wearing a long black robe.

"I don't like that witch." Nemo told his friend angrily. "I wish she would go home."

The girl in yellow patted her friend on the shoulder. "We'll go to the Ice and Snow Palace. He will follow."

Nemo turned to say something back to the girl in yellow but she was gone. Instead the only thing he saw was a huge white pillow. His clothes were different too. Instead he was wearing a long white night shirt.

He wiped his eyes, sat up, and looked around. He was in a bed, inside a small room. Rolling over to one side the young boy put his feet on the floor then got up and walked over to a nearby dresser where an alarm clock was sitting. It read 11:35.

From the next room he could hear two voices talking. "Do you know, I think that boy is up again?" A female voice said. "I believe I hear him.

Then a louder male voice followed. "Nemo! Get back into bed!"


End file.
